# NY State Parks Explorer vs Ask James

The clearest difference is rating: Ask James at 5.0 against NY State Parks Explorer's 3.6. NY State Parks Explorer's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ask James holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NY State Parks Explorer has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

## The numbers

| Metric | NY State Parks Explorer | Ask James |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ny-state-parks-explorer/id1496803341/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ask-james/id6802847589/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 23.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 167 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [New York State Office of Information Technology Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/712337016) | [James Dukas](https://appshunter.io/developer/6802847591) |

## What reviewers say

### NY State Parks Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ny-state-parks-explorer/id1496803341)

Discover over 250 New York State parks, historic sites, and natural attractions. Plan your visits with enhanced trail mapping, essential information, and real-time alerts. Find new adventures, book camping, and explore diverse regions with ease.

**Highlights:** Discover parks and historic sites, Enhanced trail mapping, Park information (hours, fees, directions), Digital Empire Pass integration, Online camping reservations, Real-time alerts and updates, Interactive map with location services

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Great map feature for Harriman
- 💡 Informative park information
- 👍 Helpful for planning visits
- ✅ Works well for some users
- 🌟 Good for discovering new places

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes on launch
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Endless loading screen
- 🐛 Unable to access pass
- 🐛 "App is updating" message persists

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on launch
- App crashes on launch
- App stuck on 'Fetching Latest Data'
- Description gave wrong location and time
- App force closes on notifications page

**Requested features**

- Make maps for Adirondacks
- Add passes to Apple Wallet
- Include DEC parks and campgrounds
- Add a 'check in' feature
- Allow users to submit local suggestions


### Ask James

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ask-james/id6802847589)

Get personalized AI-powered recommendations for dining, events, and activities in New York City. This concierge service provides straight answers, remembers your preferences, and helps you plan your itinerary.

**Highlights:** AI-powered recommendations, Real-time event discovery, Customizable trip itineraries, Photo lookup for context, Save favorite places and events, Personalized user preferences

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NY State Parks Explorer free?

NY State Parks Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ask James free?

Ask James is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NY State Parks Explorer or Ask James?

Ask James is rated higher. NY State Parks Explorer averages 3.6 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Ask James averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do NY State Parks Explorer or Ask James have ads?

Neither NY State Parks Explorer nor Ask James shows ads.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*